Ecclesiastes 8 · The Lantern

Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.

Moreover, wisdom, when it is found in a man, shows itself also in its possessor's face, and makes his countenance to shine; as, on the other hand, effrontery convicts the man in whom it has taken up its abode, so soon as he is seen, as one worthy of hatred.

"Who is like the wise man? And who knows what things mean? A man's wisdom lights up his face, and the boldness of his face is transformed. "He had taught above that it is hard to find a good man, and he had answered the question to the contrary, saying that men are made good by God, but that they fall into sin because of their own free will.

Above he described the vanity of concupiscence. Here against that vanity he intends to give the remedy of wisdom: for no one is rescued from concupiscence unless he walks with wisdom.

I [say], Keep the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oath ofGod.

Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,

because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.

For to every purpose there is time and manner. For the misery of man is great upon him;

for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?

There is no man who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

In the direct and literal sense, there is no person who has power over the spirit so as to understand the movement of air, that is, the wind as breath. The human being has no great power as long as he does not have power over the wind. He can do nothing to cause it and nothing to prevent it when it wants to harm him.

"Man is powerless over the spirit-to restrain the spirit; nor is there authority over the day of death; nor discharge in war; and wickedness cannot save the wrong-doer. "Our mind does not have the power to prevent the spirit from being taken from us, and when the spirit leaves to the realm of God, it helps nothing to shut out mouth and hold in our fleeting life.

Neither can it be prevented, whence he says: Nor is it in man's dominion, that is, power, to prevent the spirit, namely from departing, because no one can prevent the time of death from coming.

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when man ruleth man to his hurt.

And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from [the] holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Let them rest assured that punishment shall be inflicted on the wicked, and rewards shall be bestowed upon the righteous, by him who deals with everyone as each deserves, and who will proportion his rewards to the good that each has done, and to the account of himself that he is able to give.

Until now, never confuting him with your own answer or that of another, you allowed him to lord it over you, according to that saying of Solomon's: "Because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the heart of the children of men is full within them to do evil." Therefore after his exposure that evil spirit will no longer be able to disturb you, nor will that foul…

And he shows this: For because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the wicked, but they are kindly waited for, according to what is said in 2 Peter 3: "The Lord does not delay his promise, but deals patiently on your account, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to repentance." And without any fear the sons of men perpetrate evils, and so they…

Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his [days], yet I know that it shall be well with them that fearGod, because they fear before him;

but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days as a shadow, because he feareth not beforeGod.

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous [men] unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; and there are wicked [men] to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

"There is a futility that takes place on earth: sometimes there are righteous men who are treated as if they had done according to the deeds of the wicked; and there are wicked men who are treated as if they had done the deeds of the righteous. I declared, this, too, is vanity.

So Solomon bears witness, saying, "There are just men to whom many things happen, as though they had done the deeds of the wicked; and there are wicked, who are as secure as though they had the deeds of the just." God no doubt so ordains it of his inestimable mercy, that scourges should torture the just, lest their doings should elate them, and that the unjust should pass this…

Above he showed how security arises from the sight of the exaltation of the wicked: here secondly he shows how it arises from the sight of the adversity of the good. And indeed he does this in this order. First, the adversity of the good is set forth: second, from this the security of the wicked: third, vanity is concluded: fourth, pleasure is commended.

And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, whichGod hath given him under the sun.

"So I praised enjoyment, for man has no other aim under the sun but to eat, drink, and be joyful; and this will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God has given him beneath the sun. "I have interpreted this more fully above, and now I shall just speak cursorily.

Now, to be made a sharer at the table is to begin to have life, as we see from a text in Ecclesiastes: "There is no good for a man except what he shall eat and drink." How can we reasonably interpret these words save as an allusion to partaking at the table which the Mediator of the New Testament, priest according to the order of Melchizedek, provides with his own body and bloo…

Here fourthly, from this, pleasure is commended in detestation of so great a vanity, from the fact that good things befall the wicked and evil things befall the good; and this is the praise and word of a troubled man.

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),

then I saw that all [is] the work ofGod, [and] that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek [it] out, yet doth he not find [it]; and even, if a wise [man] think to know [it], he shall not be able to find [it] out.

Ecclesiastes8